Afghanistan Seeks Deeper Trade Ties With India, Pitches For Easier Business Access

Afghanistan's top trading body has called for stronger trade and investment ties with India, urging both countries to simplify business procedures, remove administrative hurdles and facilitate the issuance of business visas.

The proposals were discussed during a meeting in Kabul between Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) Chairman Sayed Karim Hashemi and Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Yatin Patel. According to a statement released by the ACCI on Saturday, the two sides held talks “in the framework of a strategic and diplomatic dialogue”.

Focus on trade facilitation and economic cooperation

The ACCI said Hashemi reaffirmed the chamber's commitment to long-term economic cooperation with India and stressed the need to improve trade procedures and strengthen institutional support for the private sector, PTI reports.

Referring to his recent visit to India, Hashemi “stressed the need to sustain and deepen economic cooperation in the fields of agricultural exports, handicrafts, mining, and mineral resources.”

“He also presented several strategic proposals aimed at increasing Afghanistan's exports, including expanding access to target markets, improving logistics infrastructure, and facilitating the issuance of business visas,” the statement added.

Responding to the proposals, Patel “reaffirmed India's support in the identified areas of cooperation. He stated that plans are underway to organise joint trade exhibitions, specialised business forums, and the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries”, the statement said.

The ACCI added that both sides agreed to pursue sustainable cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure development while strengthening long-term economic, political and cultural ties based on "transparency, efficiency and mutual benefit".

Trade shifts as India expands connectivity

The meeting comes as Afghanistan's transit trade with neighbouring Pakistan has declined sharply, falling to USD 367 million in FY26 from around USD 5 billion in FY21, as Kabul increasingly turned to alternative trade routes, including through Iran.

India has expanded connectivity with Afghanistan through Iran's Chabahar port, providing direct access to the landlocked country while bypassing Pakistan, which does not permit overland transit of Indian goods to Afghanistan.

India-Afghanistan bilateral trade stood at USD 907.85 million in 2025-26 and has remained close to the USD 1 billion mark over the past five years.

India has also stepped up engagement with Kabul, with Afghan Agriculture Minister Mawlawi Ataullah Omari visiting New Delhi earlier this month.

As part of its connectivity strategy with Afghanistan and Central Asia, India built the 218-km Zaranj-Delaram highway in western Afghanistan, linking the Iranian border to Afghanistan's ring road network to facilitate trade and humanitarian supplies.